Shiffrin wins Olympic giant slalom gold

US ski star Mikaela Shiffrin has come from behind to win the women's giant slalom in Pyeongchang, notching up the second Olympic gold medal of her career.

Shiffrin rose from second after the first run to the gold in a combined 2 minutes 20.02 seconds under sunny skies on Thursday at the Yongpyong Alpine Centre.

Norway's Ragnhild Mowinckel picked up silver, up from fourth and finishing 0.39 seconds adrift of the American. Italy's Federica Brignone won bronze, another seven-hundredths back.

Compatriot Manuela Moelgg finished fastest in the first morning run after starting the race with bib number one but ended up slipping to eighth after a poor second outing.

Shiffrin can make it double gold on Friday in her speciality discipline, the slalom, which she won in 2014 and in which she is the three-time reigning world champion.

"I don't know how to explain it. It's crazy. There's so much emotion," she said.

"I have the slalom race tomorrow, so I have to refocus my energy but to come to the Olympics after some tough races on the World Cup circuit and to charge like that. I risked it on the second run. It's super-cool."

Several skiers crashed out, including Swiss medal hopeful Lara Gut who hit a photographer on the side of the course. In total, 13 competitors alone failed to finish the first run.

"I asked the photographer if he was OK too and he said he was," Gut told journalists afterwards. "I think it's getting scary to be a photographer on skiing hills."

"Until my crash, I was fine, I was finally moving again in the way I should do in GS (giant slalom) then I made the mistake. It's part of the game but I can handle it."

"I'm also lucky because today wasn't my last race," she added.

"My Olympics aren't over after 17 seconds. I'll be back racing again on Saturday."

The race was originally scheduled for Monday but among several alpine races rescheduled owing to high winds.